Last month’s tester: Released in the same year in the 2000s, these two movies set in opposite s...

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Losses and gains

It’s now time for TRIVIA.

Last month’s tester: Released in the same year in the 2000s, these two movies set in opposite sides of the world used the same song written by a Canadian. Name the two films and the song.

Answer: "Love Actually" and "City of Ghosts." The song is "Both Sides Now" written by Joni Mitchell. My colleague who devises many of these questions noted that "Both Sides Now" is sung in Khmer in "City of Ghosts." I noticed that some sites have "City of Ghosts" released in 2002 and others in 2003. I should have added the foreign language component to the question to separate it from other films featuring music by other Canadian songwriters, specifically Avril Lavigne and Leonard Cohen. Hey, I've looked at facts from both sides now, from right and wrong and still somehow it's facts' illusions I recall. I really don't know facts at all.

No one answered the question correctly. Well, not the way the question should have been worded.

This month’s tester: This New Jersey-born actor, who was a dancer in the 1930s, would later embark on a film career, playing bit parts in several films. He became more famous for his work on a 1960s TV show. Clue: One of the movies he appeared in during the 1960s won 4 Oscars. Name the actor and the TV show.

The first reader to answer the question correctly will receive a prize from Neiman Marcus.

Trivia enthusiasts can call me at 508-626-4409 or email me at rtremblay@wickedlocal.com. Make sure you leave your name, address and phone number on my message machine or email so I can contact you if you answered the question correctly. The address is needed so winners can be mailed their prize. Callers should spell out their names slowly and clearly so their names will be spelled correctly in the column.

Answers will be accepted until 5 p.m. on April 15. Good luck!

» Social News

What do Bette Davis, Uma Thurman, Jack Lemmon and Walter Brennan have in common?

Apart from being accomplished silver screen thespians, they were all born in Massachusetts. And they are not alone. In fact, after scanning the Web and talking to colleagues, yours truly has compiled a lengthy list of Bay State-born actors and actresses who made their mark in movies. So lengthy in fact that I decided to narrow the list by including only those thespians who made an indelible mark. For inclusion, thespians have to have quality and quantity on their resumes. And since this is a film column, thespians who made a bigger impression in other fields such as TV or stage will not be included. Using this criteria, I have whittled the list down to 25.

Will I have missed anybody? I'd be amazed if I didn't. Will I have wronged some thespians by not including them? I expect readers will let me know who they think I dissed. It does get tricky when a thespian excels in all fields. Let the kvetching begin.

The thespians are listed in alphabetical order. For space reasons, the column will be divided into two parts. The second part will run May 11.

JACK ALBERTSON – Born in Malden in 1907. This former song-and-dance man appeared in more than 30 films, most notably "The Subject Was Roses," for which he received an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1968. He was also in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971) and "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972). He's probably best known for his TV work on "Chico and the Man" (1974-78). He played the Man and garnered an Emmy for the role. He also won a Tony, becoming one of the few actors to achieve this thespian triple crown. He died in 1981.

JANE ALEXANDER – Born in Boston in 1939. Like Albertson, she's a triple threat, excelling on stage where she's won a Tony, TV where she's won two Emmys, and film, where she's been nominated for an Oscar four times: for best actress in "The Great White Hope (1970) and "Testament" (1983) and best supporting actress for "All the President's Men" (1976) and "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979). She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994 and served as chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts in the 1990s. Not exactly a plain Jane.

CHARLES BICKFORD – Born in Cambridge in 1891. Gordon Gekko said greed was good. For Bickford, gruff was good. He was nominated three times for an Oscar for best supporting actor: "The Song of Bernadette" (1943), "The Farmer's Daughter" (1947) and "Johnny Belinda" (1948). He was also in "A Star is Born" (1954) and "The Big Country" (1954). He died in 1967.

WALTER BRENNAN – Born in Lynn in 1894. When I was growing up, I only knew Brennan for his work on the TV show "The Real McCoys" (1957-1963). He got an Emmy nomination for his role as Grandpa. I would later learn that his film career was the real McCoy. He is one of only three men to win three acting Oscars, taking home the statuette for "Come and Get It" (1936), "Kentucky" (1938) and "The Westerner" (1940). The other two gentlemen are Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day-Lewis. Brennan was also nominated for best supporting actor for "Sergeant York" (1941). No other actor has won the best supporting Oscar three times. He died in 1974.

Page 2 of 3 - JOHN CAZALE - Born in Revere in 1935. Like Bickford and Brennan, he was one of the greatest character actors in the biz. He appeared in five films and all five were nominated for an Oscar as best picture: "The Godfather" (1972), "The Conversation" (1974), "The Godfather Part II" (1974), "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975) and "The Deer Hunter" (1978). No other actor has achieved this multi-film distinction. Incredibly, he himself was never nominated for an Oscar. He's best known for playing Fredo Corleone in "The Godfather" films. He died in 1978.

MATT DAMON - Born in Cambridge in 1970. Not too many actors have won Oscars for best screenplay, but Damon turned that trick with fellow thespian Ben Affleck with "Good Will Hunting" in 1997. Damon was also nominated for an Oscar as best actor for the film. He has since starred in "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999), the first three "Bourne" films, "Syriana" (2005), "The Departed" (2006) and "Invictus," (2009). The latter film earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. He's also one of the top-40 highest-grossing actors of all time. In case you're wondering why Affleck isn't on this list, he was born in Berkeley, Calif.

BETTE DAVIS - Born in Lowell in 1908. No-brainer here. She's definitely the greatest actress to hail from Massachusetts. She won the Oscar for best actress twice: "Dangerous" (1935) and "Jezebel" (1938). She was also the first thespian receive 10 Academy Award nominations for acting, the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. We don't have to ask for the moon when we have the stars, like Bette Davis. And what about those eyes? She died in 1989.

GEENA DAVIS - Born in Wareham in 1956. Boston University grad and a member of Mensa so her IQ is in the top 2 percent of the population. Her roles include "The Fly" (1986), "Beetlejuice" (1988) and "Thelma & Louise" (1991), for which she was nominated for an Oscar as best actress, "The Accidental Tourist" (1988), for which she won the Oscar for best supporting actress, and "A League of Their Own" (1992). She also has received four Golden Globe nominations, winning for her TV work on "Commander in Chief" in 2005. Off screen, she's an excellent archer, having tried out for the U.S. Olympic archery team in 2000. Eat your heart out, Katniss.

OLYMPIA DUKAKIS - Born in Lowell in 1931. Cousin of Michael, former Mass. governor and presidential candidate. Like Geena, Olympia is a BU grad. Her roles includes "Steel Magnolias" (1989), "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995) and "Mighty Aphrodite" (1995.) She's best known for playing Cher's mom in "Moonstruck" (1987), for which she won an Oscar as best supporting actress. For her TV work, she's been nominated for three Emmys and one Golden Globe.

Page 3 of 3 - RUTH GORDON - Born in Quincy in 1896. A talented actress and writer. With her husband Garson Kanin, she was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay three times: "A Double Life" (1947), "Adam's Rib" (1949) and "Pat and Mike" (1952). She was also nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actress twice: "Inside Daisy Clover" (1965) and "Rosemary's Baby (1968). She won the statuette for the latter performance. The devil made her do it. She's best known, though, for her performance in the cult classic "Harold and Maude" (1971). She also won an Emmy for "Taxi" in 1978 and two Golden Globes. She died in 1985.

MADELINE KAHN - Born in Boston in 1942. One of the greatest comic actresses evah. Her Marlene Dietrich-inspired rendition of "I'm Tired" in "Blazing Saddles" (1974) ranks as one of the funniest solos in filmdom. She was equally brilliant in "Paper Moon" (1973) and "Young Frankenstein" (1974). She was nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actress for "Paper Moon" and "Blazing Saddles." Mel Brooks, the director of "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein," also cast her in "High Anxiety" and "The History of the World: Part I" (1981). She was nominated for four Golden Globes and won a Tony for her performance in "The Sisters Rosensweig" in 1998. She died in 1999.

ARTHUR KENNEDY - Born in Worcester in 1914. Yet another superb character actor, this versatile thespian was nominated four times for an Oscar as best supporting actor: "Champion" (1949), "Trial" (1955), "Peyton Place" (1957) and "Some Came Running" (1958). He was also nominated for an Oscar as best actor in "Bright Victory" (1951). Theatergoers of a certain vintage will know him best for playing Biff in "Death of a Salesman," for which he won a Tony Award in 1949. He died in 1990.